We Create our Fate
by Lady Latte
Summary: With peace restored to Skyloft and the world below, Groose thought his feelings for Zelda would come to a closure. However when he finds out that Link and Zelda had left Skyloft, his feelings are in turmoil. Meanwhile, two mysterious witches appeal to Groose's weakness with a dangerous offer. Finally, a cursed man is seeking revenge across time. (more inside)
1. Chapter 1: Gone

Title: We Create our Fate

Summary: With peace restored to Skyloft and the world below, Groose thought his feelings for Zelda would come to a closure. However when he finds out that Link and Zelda had left Skyloft, his feelings are in turmoil. Meanwhile, two mysterious witches appeal to Groose's weakness with a dangerous offer. Finally, a cursed man is seeking revenge across time. Unexpected alliances, friendship, and romance take leap, as the story attempts a long-term commitment.

Author's Notes: Yes, this is a Groose/Zelda fan fic. The lack of fics in this pairing is _astounding_, especially any notable ones. So I finally took it upon myself to create something for everyone to enjoy, shippers and hopefully non-shippers both. There are a couple of things I want to point out:

- Groose will remain in-character as much as possible, so there won't be any of this "turning into the dark side" from him, aside from some irrational decisions he will make, but they are necessary for his character/relationship development. In fact, I will attempt to keep as many of the characters "in-character" as possible, with the exception of maybe one character, who's gradual change in the story will be a great challenge for me to tackle, but that only makes me more eager to try.

- I originally intended to keep this story short and simple, only as a glance from Groose's perspective after the events of Skyward Sword. However, I am very tempted to expand this story into something with more depth, so this is my attempt at fleshing out the possibilities. Depending on the kind of feedback/reviews I receive, we will see how this will turn out.

- Please keep in mind that I have not written a fan fiction in years, so my style of writing may seem a bit... choppy, mainly that being my tenses seeming a bit out of place at times. I do not have a Beta, and I am willing to consider one. Feel free to leave constructive reviews, but no flames, please. I hope you enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 1: Gone

* * *

He should not have won that race.

Groose knew it, his friends knew it, the judges knew it, the headmaster knew it…_ she_ knew it.

The red-head had done everything possible to prepare himself for the Wing Festival. He lifted weights every day to keep his built figure. He kept himself clean and well groomed, took care of his hair to give it that suave look that most ladies would die for. Maintaining a stylish hair like that was no easy feat. It required an extremely rare and expensive type of gel, a _quality_ gel, not the one that was cheap and sticky, like that of a demented Chuu.

Of course, merely keeping a good appearance wasn't the only factor in winning that race. Groose had also trained daily with his Loftwing, forcing his friends, Cawlin and Strich, to set up an obstacle course for him to practice on. His Loftwing was a majestic creature, his feathers cared for, giving off a healthy shine. Throughout the sessions, his bird plowed through the training course with ease, finishing off with a graceful landing that made Groose proud. He was certain they were going to win this. In fact, they should have won. That race was _his_.

_The truth however_… Groose dipped the tip of his quill into the ink, pausing at his incomplete sentence. He gave a low, amused chuckle, and brought his quill back to the parchment on his journal. _The truth was that I hated flying. In fact, I'd go as far as to say I was downright terrified of it. Not that I was afraid of anything really. But it was because of that one nearly traumatic experience as a child, that I thought I would never set foot in the open sky again_.

Groose leaned back against his chair, and closed his eyes, the memory flooding back into his mind.

* * *

_Phobia_

_Groose had been very young, perhaps around five or so, and just as much of a snarky tyke as he had been during his teenage years at the Knight Academy. The red-head had been annoyed at the attention He was getting from Her, so he had decided to do something that would impress her. All of the children had been warned not to climb the top of the lighthouse because it was dangerously high, and too close to the edge wherein had been the open sky. _

_So, what did he do? Well, he figured, due to the emphasis of the danger, he had a good shot at gaining her admiration. He waited, day by day, to find an opportunity to tackle the lighthouse, where he wouldn't be stopped by anyone, and where she would notice him. And that moment had come._

_As he slowly climbed up the ladder to the lighthouse, he had felt the wind rushing past him, and he shivered, not because it had been cold, but because of how far up he had been going. His palms felt sweaty, yet numb, as he gripped each step of the ladder. He dared himself to look down, ignoring the sinking sensation in his stomach, and he noticed how much smaller Skyloft was beneath him._

_The houses shrunk, looking more like the toy houses he had seen Her receive for her birthday from her father. The plants and flowers were hardly visible, but the trees were still reasonably tall, though he felt as if he had been very far away from them. The people… appeared to move around slower, and he had caught sight of a long mane of beautiful blonde hair. His heart raced as he stared in her direction, hoping she would turn her head and look up at him._

_But she didn't._

_She had kept her back to Groose, still chatting with Him, as if nothing had happened. Groose swallowed dryly, feeling incredibly stupid and annoyed with himself that he had bothered to come up here. For a split moment, Groose felt nothing but a silent rage for the boy, wishing He would disappear long enough to have Her pretty face look up at him, and be amazed at what he had accomplished. Then suddenly,_

_"Groose! What in the name of Hylia are you doing up there?! Get down from there, you're going to hurt yourself!"_

_Though faint, he could hear his friend, Cawlin, repeatedly calling his name, and saying something about him getting down. He had already been planning on going down anyway. His yelling though, had caught Her attention. Groose followed her gaze as she glanced from Cawlin to the light house, and she raised her head – her eyes meeting his. Groose could feel his heart race again. Her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue that would have made even Skyloft's butterflies jealous. Though he couldn't exactly see her face properly from being so far up, he could already picture it as he stared back at her blurred face._

_His legs suddenly felt as if his bones had dissolved into jelly. He didn't know how it happened but, as he reached the top, he found himself stumbling, though by the time he was fully aware to regain his balance, he had already slipped, and fell backwards, not to the ground, but to the open sky. _

_He couldn't even scream, because he was falling faster than his voice could seemingly function. Groose blindly gripped for something solid, but whatever object he attempted to grasp slipped out of his fingers, and he felt nothing but an endless terror as he kept falling…_

* * *

Groose shuddered at the memory. If it hadn't been for their high-level Knights from the Academy… he probably wouldn't be here right now. At the time, he didn't even have a Loftwing yet, because he had been too young to own one. But that horrible experience had him in fear of even being near the edge of the sky for his following years after that. He had been constantly criticized and ridiculed by other students of the Academy for being a wimp. Everyone in Skyloft knew the Mighty Groose had been afraid of the sky. It had been embarrassing, and he had to live with it. Only one person was able to get him to face his fear.

Her.

The stunning beauty that had always taken his breath away. Her skin always seemed to emit an almost ethereal glow about her, along with her golden hair. Her delicate features, her kind smile, the sweet scent of her perfume – _everything_ about her fascinated him. In his eyes, she was a princess. Princess Zelda.

His friends called him obsessive. Perhaps he was.

_And still are_, his mind reminded him snidely.

Groose could not deny this, even if he tried. The adoration he felt for the girl has no limit. She had, without knowing, a powerful impact on him. So powerful in fact, that the things he would have done for her… made no logical sense - did not match the title of a coward he had so claimed.

_My fear of flying_, he wrote on the parchment again, his hand trembling slightly. _I had overcome because of her. Because of that one day…_

* * *

_Courage_

_Of course, Groose was the student who had been least looking forward to the Academy's first flying exam. Every child that attended the Academy was required to have their first flying experience at age 11. That was also of course, the age where they received their first Loftwing. He had originally planned to somehow get himself sick so that he could miss the class lecture, but that was all gone from his mind when he heard Zelda say,_

_"I think anyone who takes on the sky is incredibly brave, whether they're required to learn to fly anyway or not. I've always found something to be admired by those that can fly."_

_That one statement filled him with an outburst of energy that he didn't think was normal. It had been as if all his fears were temporarily forgotten. In his desperation to impress her, to get one admiring glance from her – he had felt like this was his real chance._

_And so, he worked up his courage in preparation for the flying exam, which was going to be in a few days. _

_In the first couple of days, Groose would make bold steps closer to the edge of Skyloft to get himself more comfortable with the prospect of having to be near the sky. Sometimes his legs would paralyze in fear when he got too close, but his determination was burning. Even so, his heart pounded rapidly whenever he saw the open space near him… the lack of solid ground._

_On the day of their first flying lesson, it was finally his time to shine. Zelda would be speechless. He tried to ignore every bit of anxiety that settled itself in his chest as he stood within distance of the wooden ramp that led to the sky. Groose felt almost dazed, the blowing of the horn and the voices around him growing fainter as his cue to jump off the ramp called to him._

_Groose didn't think he'd be able to keep his eyes open for this, so he mentally pictured the ramp's distance beneath him and shut his eyes tightly. He started to sprint, and there were only two things in his mind; He hoped Zelda was watching, and he hoped his Loftwing would come to his call._

_He was in open space once more, the terror pulsing inside him all the way down. Groose whistled harshly for his Loftwing, his eyes still scrunched shut. He didn't think he'd be able to open them. _

_His Loftwing landed beneath him, catching his fall. Groose grasped at the feathers around his Loftwing's neck for dear life, earning a rather indignant cry from his poor bird. He tried to murmur an apology, but he was still trying to get adjusted to being in the air. He _**_had_**_ to open his eyes._

_He just couldn't. Then his mind began an internal struggle._

**_Come on Groose…_**

**_I can't… it's scary_**

**_Just a little…_**

**_N-no…_**

**_For her then? What if she's watching? You're going to miss everything!_**

_Groose gave in to his pressing mind battle, and forced himself to open one eye, which slowly peeked out from his previously closed eyelid. The wind beat against his quivering body, in a manner that felt similar to when he had fallen off the top of the lighthouse. He tightened his grasp on his Loftwing, another eye opening as he tried to adjust his vision to the blur of Skyloft._

**_Oh Goddess, help me… _**

_The entire flight was something of a nightmare, even though he had done exactly what the instructors told him to do, and completed every portion of the exam without fail. _

_The second objective, after they learned to fly, had been to direct their Loftwing to the rings in the sky that had been set up as a practice course. Their objective was to fly through as many of these rings as they could… some of them were fairly easy because of how large they were, and others grew smaller when they were approached. This made it harder to fly inside because of how precise one had to be with their flying. Groose did not miss a single ring._

_Finally, Groose made his way back to Skyloft in the direction of the ramp he had used to jump previously, before carefully landing back to the ground. He dismounted his Loftwing, relieved that it was finally over._

_ He glanced around and noticed that many of the students were still having a hard time flying, and the few that did make it to the rings portion of the course missed many rings. There were two people who finished a bit after him, and both had trouble landing back to the ground._

_Groose could hear people congratulate him in the background, but he simply smirked back at them, his attention not on them, but on the whereabouts of Zelda. He couldn't see her anywhere though, which was baffling to him. He hadn't exactly expected her to be one of the last ones to finish – she seemed pretty confident and eager about flying herself._

_His eyes scanned the sky for her blue Loftwing. Some of the students were finishing up their exams, the number of Loftwings in the sky lessening and making it easier for him to find her._

_And there she was. _

_But she wasn't in any kind of exam. No… she was… just flying around. _

_Then he realized that she wasn't _**_only_**_ flying around –she had been trying to _**_help_**_ someone. Someone had fallen off their Loftwing, and she had stopped doing her practice session to that person's rescue. As soon as Groose spotted the red Loftwing trying to catch up to the pair (apparently it had crashed on one of the floating rocks), he instantly knew who it was._

_Groose could do nothing but stare, as he watched the two make their way back to the crowd on Zelda's Loftwing. Link's arms were wrapped around her waist from behind her, and Groose could feel his own fists clenching. _

_"Are you alright?" she asked him softly, as the two descended from her Loftwing._

_"Yeah," said Link sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I don't know what's gotten over my Loftwing. She seems fond of going for the rocks instead of the sky."_

_Zelda laughed lightly, shaking off his apology. "It's quite alright. It was only your first time. The reason your Loftwing went for the rocks is because you have to steer her away from them. Your Loftwing probably lost momentum when you tried to pull away at the last minute."_

_"Yeah…" Link replied, shrugging._

_The crowd broke into an excitement of how their flight experience went. Groose couldn't even hear the professors congratulate him properly, because he was seething. Zelda's father approached her and gave her a proud nod. _

_"Even though you delayed your practice session to help a student in aid," he began. "You did this for a noble cause. I'm very proud of you, daughter." He gave her a warm smile, in which she returned with her own._

_"Thank you, father."_

_Cawlin suddenly broke off. "Man," he said to the crowd loudly, though Groose could sense he had been aiming to direct his statement at him. "You guys should have seen Groose fly. He was the last person I expected to fly like that, let alone get in the air at all! He's terrified of flying. I wonder what his secret is?"_

_One of the professors nodded in agreement. "Yes, you did remarkably well, Groose," he complimented him. "You were the first student in this class to ace every portion of the exam. Congratulations, you should feel very proud, considering how flying, as Cawlin had put it, wasn't one of the lessons you were looking forward to. I'd say you have natural flying talent right there."_

_The compliments would have made Groose feel, indeed, incredibly proud and smug, and the Academy students wouldn't hear the end of it for weeks whenever he went into his bragging mode. However, they did nothing, because they weren't her words, and weren't her looks of awe. In fact, she didn't seem to be paying attention at all, because her focus was entirely on Link and his pathetic flight performance._

_Once the crowd began to spread out and scatter away, Groose managed to gain some privacy. He approached Link, and scowled. "You call that a flying session? And you had the nerve to prevent Zelda from doing well so that she could save your sorry rear? I bet you just wanted to be close to her, didn't you?" he spat._

_Link gave him a blank look, and blinked. "Um, no. I just made a mistake on the distance from my turn, and hit the rock…"_

_Groose crossed his arms in his chest and shook his head disapprovingly. "Well_**_ I_**_ didn't hit one rock. Didn't miss one turn. Flew flawlessly in the sky, and half of it was with my eyes closed! Ha!" he boasted, in hopes that Zelda would hear and be amazed at his performance._

_She did hear, and turned around to look at him, but she didn't look the least impressed. "Come on, Link," she said, frowning at Groose, before guiding the two away. _

_Groose watched their backs as they walked off into the horizon, his knees sinking into the grass. He was not sure how long he stood there, but apparently it had been a long time, because someone had to alert him to go back to the Academy when dusk started to approach._

* * *

Groose sighed, flipping the page of his journal after he had written down the unpleasant memory. What he had written in his journal had been nothing compared to the seemingly countless memories he had like these, his many attempts to win Zelda's heart - and his failure, over the years.

And now, with the defeat of Demise, and peace restored to Skyloft and the world below - he thought his feelings would come to a closure. A silent acceptance that Zelda was never meant for him, that he valued both of Zelda and Link's friendship, and wanted them to be happy. Link deserved her, more than he could even dream of. Groose would never have gone through what Link did for anyone. But Groose would have done so for Zelda. He would have walked through fire for her.

_But it wasn't my place_, Groose wrote. _It was Link's role. Even if I would have done the same in his shoes. It was his fate._

"Groose?"

Cawlin's voice was somewhat muffled behind his door. "Oh. Come in," said Groose distractedly, closing his journal.

The short, dark-haired male hobbled into Groose's room, peering up at him with an anxious expression on his face. His small, beady eyes settled on the journal for a moment, and he shook his head. "Writing on that thing again, are you?"

Groose rested his chin on a large, tanned hand, hazel eyes barely acknowledging his friend. "Is there something you want, Cawlin?" he asked wearily. He did not sound cold, or angry… simply tired. Drained.

"I just… I thought you might have heard," Cawlin spluttered. "I mean, if you have, you seem to be taking this better than I thought you would."

A red brow quirked in question. "What are you rambling about?"

"No one told you?" said Cawlin, surprised. And at the genuine confusion on Groose's face, Cawlin continued. "Well erm… how do I say this. Groose, look, I really thought you had heard about it already, so I just came to check to make sure you were alright. You've been locked up in your room, so I assumed you knew, because that's what you do when you get depressed."

Cawlin swallowed thickly, Groose's silence making this considerably harder than it should have been. "Groose um…" he trailed off. "It's Zelda. And Link."

The red-head's attention was immediate; his heavy eyes grew alert, and he sat up, staring at Cawlin worriedly. "What happened? Are they alright?"

His friend shifted from foot to foot, taking a strange interest in the fabric of the carpet on the wooden floor. "Yes… they're fine," he reassured him, missing the semi-relieved look flash on Groose's face. "It's just…" he took a deep breath. 'They're gone."

Bewilderment and concern once again took over Groose's features. "Gone?" he repeated blankly. "What do you mean, _gone_, Cawlin? I thought you said they were fine."

Cawlin sighed, figuring he might as well get this over with. "They _are_ fine, Groose. What I'm trying to say is, they left. Together. I mean, they didn't run away or anything. They had everything arranged with Zelda's father and all. It seems like everyone in Skyloft knew about this, except you. I'm still surprised they haven't said anything to you."

Groose couldn't seem to digest this information into his head properly. "When… when did they leave?" he asked Cawlin quietly.

"A few hours ago, I think?" Cawlin mumbled. "I'm sure they're well far away from Skyloft at this point. It seems like they've made arrangements to live in the world below us, but they weren't clear on where, or anything else. Zelda and Link seemed really happy though."

There was a long, tense silence. Then Groose sat up from his chair, and gave a strangled laugh. "Nonsense," he said, in an overly cheerful tone. "They're not gone, Cawlin. If they did go to the world below us, it was probably only for a little while. They'll come back."

Cawlin chewed his lip. "They made arrangements with Zelda's father, Groose," he reminded him. "They wouldn't have gone through that trouble if it didn't mean long-term."

"They're probably back by now anyway," said Groose brightly, as if he hadn't heard him. "It's almost morning, isn't it? They're probably back in their dormitories and sleeping," he said, nodding fervently. "Just watch, Zelda will be playing her harp in a few hours by the Goddess's statue, as she usually does in this day of the week."

His friend blinked back at Groose with a mixture of exasperation and pity. "Groose… I'm sorry, friend. There won't… there won't be anyone playing the harp by the Goddess's statue anymore."

But Groose remained stubborn, his exaggerated optimism struggling to protect a much more fragile part inside him. "She'll be there," said Groose determinedly, grabbing his journal and quill, and stuffing them into a bag. "I'll stay awake and wait until dawn if I have to, but I know she'll be there."


	2. Chapter 2: Never Had

Chapter 2: Never Had

* * *

The cold, night air slapped his face as Groose stepped outside, and climbed on top of the roof of the Academy. He shivered, taking his seat on his favorite, secluded spot on the roof from where he had always watched Zelda play her harp. He had often set an alarm clock for himself to wake up before she did on days like these… just so he could observe her, and not miss a minute of her music.

_I wonder_, he wrote on his journal fondly. _If Link ever noticed how the early morning sunlight would catch on her hair, how her face relaxed when she closed her eyes. How she was in complete peace from the moment her slender fingers brushed against the strands of her harp. Such beautiful, powerful sounds flowed into the air… how they would always take my breath away, just like she's always done to me._

Would Link have made these subtle observations? And if he did, would he have told her amazing she was?

Groose grinned to himself, remembering how he often criticized Link for being dense when it came to women. _Link may seem oblivious_, he wrote thoughtfully. _But surely, he must have noticed these things. How can one not?_

He paused with his quill on the parchment for a moment, knowing that he would get carried away in his thoughts about Zelda, and likely start writing yet another poem, which, even with the seemingly endless poems he had written about her, he could never seem to run out of inspiration. He remembered the days where he used to read them to her - though she had been asleep of course, frozen in that pink… ice that had encased her in the Sealed Temple. Groose had stayed by her side at every possible moment, always reassuring her that she would be alright, that she would be saved, even if she never heard him.

_As much as I disliked Link for gaining her affections_, he wrote again. _Every day that I watched her motionless body, hating Impa for telling me that I wasn't fated to save her - Link had been the only hope. Her life and happiness meant more to me than anything in the world._

Putting his quill down, Groose wrapped his arms around his knees, and watched the sky slowly transition from darkness to early morning light. The clouds appeared grey and jagged, too distant somehow. Even with the orange glow from the rising sun, it was as if the clouds were moving away from the light, afraid of its existence in the sky. He watched the Goddess statue with bated breath.

It was there… that one particular spot in the courtyard where Zelda would appear, in all her splendor. Sometimes she would stand while she played, and other times, she would sit on the bench next to the flower bed. But as he watched, and waited, no one came. Not even the shadow of a bird in sight, its happy chirping alerting the other creatures to a new day. It felt… dead.

Groose was afraid of looking at the time. He much preferred to stay under the illusion that time was actually moving that slowly, and that was why Zelda hadn't shown up yet. But the lingering minutes had turned to an hour, and the sun was shining high above Skyloft now. Groose had not moved for a long time, oblivious to the sounds of the residents in the Academy waking up and starting out their day. He could hear the bell from the Bazaar, signaling that the shop was opening. But the sound meant nothing. They were not Zelda's harp.

_Maybe… maybe she simply didn't want to play today_, he tried to reassure himself._ Y-yes. That's it. She's probably woken up by now, and having breakfast with the others._

With that encouragement in mind, he sat up from the roof, going through the window from which he used to climb up, and back into the Academy. He did not understand why his body was shaking, or why the faces of the people he skimmed past appeared to be a blur. Even when he heard his name being called, he didn't answer. They were not her voice.

His face pale, he blinked back at the figures in the dining area, who glanced at him curiously, and were mumbling under their breath. Zelda was not eating right now… or perhaps she had eaten already. The crowds were gathering in the hall, and he brushed past them, feeling like a ghost. He had even caused a person or two to stumble from his blind walk, receiving some annoyed reactions.

When Groose reached the corridor of the dormitories, he stood motionless, for a moment, staring at her door. With a shaky hand, he knocked on Zelda's door, the sounds coming out softer than he had expected. He waited for some time, but there was no answer. Reaching out a hand for the door knob, he tried to tug it open. It was locked.

"Groose, what are you doing?" asked Strich incredulously, approaching him. "And what… you look as if you have seen death. What happened?"

The red-head could feel his control slipping, and he turned his head to face his blonde, skinny friend, giving him a desperate look. "Strich, I need to get in Zelda's dormitory," he pleaded. "Can you… can you ask the headmaster for the key? I need to talk to her."

Strich's eyes widened from underneath his fringe. "Zelda isn't here, Groose. I thought you already knew that?"

"She's not gone!" Groose yelled, ignoring the wary looks from on-lookers walking down the hall. "Strich, _please_. This is urgent."

The other male hesitated. "I don't think the headmaster would approve of this," he said, fearing for his friend's sanity.

"No, I wouldn't," came a stern voice from behind them. Strich jumped, and looked up at Zelda's father nervously. The tall, bald man, who usually bore a calm expression, was frowning, gazing at the two of them with guarded eyes. Groose on the other hand, did not even budge, his hand still grasping the door knob as if his life depended on it.

"Headmaster Gaepora," Strich nearly squeaked, giving the headmaster an apologetic bow.

"Strich, if you could kindly give us a moment of privacy, please," said Gaepora, motioning for Strich to leave. The blonde nodded, casting an apprehensive look at Groose for a moment, before leaving them alone. Gaepora's intense stare also appeared to intimidate any wandering students nearby, and he did not speak again until he was certain they were alone.

Before Gaepora could say a word, however, Groose spoke first. "Headmaster," Groose broke off. "Is it… is it true? That Link and Z-Zelda -" he couldn't finish his sentence, and tightened his grip on the door handle.

The headmaster watched him silently, before stepping up toward Zelda's door, taking out a keychain ring from his pocket with a number of dangling keys. He pulled out a distinct silver key, and hesitated, as if considering against it. "You don't believe they're gone, do you?" he asked Groose softly. "You want confirmation."

Nodding numbly, Groose loosened his grip on the door and allowed the headmaster to move in front of him. Gaepora inserted the silver key in the keyhole, his hand resting on the door knob, but not yet turning it. He tilted his head in Groose's direction. "Are you sure you want to see?"

Groose felt an unwelcome tug of fear at the question. He wanted to run away from the suspense, to create another illusion of comfort that Zelda was still here. Yet he realized it was inevitable. If he didn't find out now, he would find out sooner or later. He gave Gaepora a reluctant nod.

"Very well," said Gaepora quietly, opening the door to his daughter's room. And when he did, Groose immediately regretted it; the dreary room appeared to be devoid of light, save for the weak rays of sunlight that had peaked through the blinds of her window. Though her dresser, bed, shelf, desk, and night stand had been there, all her decorations and possessions were gone. The vivid colors and feminine decor that defined the room were no longer there.

Groose sat at the edge of her bed, too stunned for words.

Gaepora sighed. "As you can see, they are indeed, gone. This hasn't been easy on any of us. Zelda has always been my baby girl, but she's reached the age where she can make her own decisions now. There is nothing more for her to learn from the Academy, though she knows this place will always be her home, if she ever decides to come back. As with Link. I could not have placed my trust in my daughter's safety in more than anyone but him."

Groose felt his mind becoming an incomprehensible wave of questions, his emotions caught up in his chest, and an uncomfortable prickling in his eyes. Everything was hitting him hard, the realization slowly sinking in, no matter how hard he fought to deny it. "C-couldn't she… they… have at least said good-bye to me?" he stammered, finding it difficult to breathe His lungs ached, sharp pangs prodding at what felt like every part of his chest.

"Zelda doesn't like good-byes," said Gaepora, giving him a sad smile.

There was a sudden voice at the door, which sounded like one of the professors, but Groose could not decipher who, because the sounds were growing distant in the background. "Headmaster," said the voice urgently. "There is a… situation in the Lanayru Desert. I apologize for the interruption, but I need to show you something immediately."

"I… see," said Gaepora, surprised and aware at the disturbance in the professor's tone. "I will attend to this situation at once, Professor Owlan. And Groose…" he said, giving the red-head a light squeeze on his shoulder. "You may spend time as you see fit in Zelda or Link's rooms, but I encourage you to try and clear your mind. It will not be reassuring for you to dwell on such memories."

With that, the headmaster left, following Professor Owlan out of the room, and leaving Groose alone in Zelda's room. Groose had not moved for a long time, his gaze fixed on the empty wall, somehow hoping that, if he stared at it hard enough, he would wake from this nightmare. But no matter how long he sat there, nothing happened.

His fingers grasped at the covers on the bed, as if he needed reassurance that they were real. Hoping that the soft, plush toys that Zelda owned would suddenly spawn on the bed. That the flower pots would once again appear on her shelf. That her family portrait would show up on the wall. That her desk would once again be stacked with books and her knitting supplies, and her Tingle plushie that he would tease her about when they were very young. That…

Groose sunk onto the bed, burying his face on her pillow. The faint scent of lavender and summer breeze sifted into his only human sense that seemed to be functioning at the moment. The same scent emitted when the wind would play with her hair. How he had longed to be the wind.

"Why," his voice cracked into the pillow, his body trembling from the overwhelming emotions coursing through him. Hot tears blurred his vision and stung his cheeks, the moisture seeping into her pillow. "Why did you have to go?" his sobs were muffled, but inside, every fiber of his being wanted to scream in agony.

_Why did you have to leave me?_

* * *

Never Had

_How do I move across time_

_Moving backwards only brings painful memories_

_The future seems bleak and empty without you_

_All I can do is cling to the present, to what you had left behind_

_You only just left, and yet I feel as I have missed you for an eternity_

_But how can one miss something they never had?_


End file.
